Tap Project

This project call 'Tap project' by UNICEF. The water vending machine was installed in Manhattan, US and the project is to help African who suffer from dirty water and other disease such as malaria and cholera. The water is really dirty water so never drinking. It just donate programme and to raise awareness of clean water importance.

Becoming vegetarian will help save the planet

Here's a reason to be a vegetarian or, at least, a semi-veggie: Trimming your meat consumption by 30% would benefit you and the rest of the planet, according to research reported by Reuters.

The most meat-loving nations would have healthier citizens and also would reduce carbon emissions, scientists said.

Researchers in Great Britain and Australia have found that certain measures, like reducing fossil-fuel dependence in farming, aren't enough to meet emissions targets, reports Reuters.

But if these steps were combined with a 30% cutback in livestock breeding in key meat-producing nations, and a similar reduction in meat consumption, there would be "substantial population health benefits" and reduced emissions.

So, how much healthier would people be if they passed on the steaks and burgers?

The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, noted that in Great Britain alone, a 30% smaller intake of animal-based saturated fats by adults would slash the number of premature deaths from heart disease by 17%, says Reuters.

And Sao Paolo, Brazil, would have 1,000 fewer premature deaths a year if residents cut back on meat eating by 30%, Reuters notes.

Some 18% of all greenhouse-gas emissions can be attributed to meat production, according to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization.

By 2030, rising demand for meat could drive livestock production up by 85% from 2000 levels, Reuters reports.

Polar Bear

www.planestupid.com

I saw this today. Horrific!

Icebreaker Merino clothes

Here you can trace the origin of the Merino wool they use for their garments, listen and watch stories about their farmers, and read about the company's philosophy..You need a BAACODE to do all this, here's one: 7B5FFE27B!

http://www.icebreaker.com/site/index.html

"The Footprint Chronicles" of Patagonia

On this mini website you can trace the manufacturing process of the Patagonia's new collection items: water/energy consumption, distance traveled, carbon dioxide emitted, waste generated, etc...

http://www.patagonia.com/web/eu/footprint/index.jsp

Cameron Sinclair on open-source architecture

2006 Ted Prize Award Winner Cameron Sinclair talks about Open Source Architecture. Open Source Architecture Network is an online, open source community dedicated to improving living conditions through innovative and sustainable design. It was born from the wish Cameron Sinclair made when he accepted the 2006 TED Prize: to build a global, open-source network where architects, governments and NGOs can share and implement design plans to house the world.

"My wish to develop a community that actively embraces innovative and sustainable design to improve living conditions for all"

Until this day he still works in the development of Open Source Architecture together with Architecture for Humanity: a nonprofit that helps architects apply their skills to humanitarian efforts.

These come form trees - case study

http://thesecomefromtrees.blogspot.com/

These Come from Trees is an experimental project about the environment, particularly paper waste. Their aim is to save thousands of trees, by spreading the message about paper wastage though the use of stickers. So far more than 50,000 stickers have been distributed since 2007. By placing this sticker on objects or products which is associated with paper, it gives out a direct statement to the user, so that to be more aware about paper wastage and thus using less paper. This was proven when an elementary school teacher introduced this to the school; the stickers were posted on a paper towel dispenser. A year later the school managed to reduce from 129 cases of paper towels to 95 cases. They manage to save 34 cases of paper towels and from statistics 34 cases is worth 1800 pounds of paper, which is equivalent to 18 trees. These stickers not only change people’s attitude towards paper usage but also is linked with bigger issue such as financial for example in the case of the elementary school where they can save money from purchasing less cases of paper towels.

Shrinkpaper - Case study

http://www.shrinkpaper.org/

At shrinkpaper.org, it tells us the facts about paper wastage which is increasing rapidly around the world. The production of paper is increasing and thus causing more destruction to forests, pollutions and the rise of carbon emission. From this project, they’re aim is to see future Europe that consume less paper than its current state, since Europe(besides America) consume 6 times more paper compare to other countries.

They give advices and suggestions so that they will be a significant change to paper consumption like to reduce the amount of virgin pulp used, using recyclable paper, changing the social behavior, etc. On the website, you can also take a pledge about reducing paper consumption, where it is broken down into several categories which you can choose then it will calculate how many trees are saved, how much energy and water are saved and the amount of pollution we create less. Maybe then it will set an example to the paper industries if majority of the society is concerned about paper waste.

Working for Cleaner Beaches

How we're improving and and protecting our bathing waters.

India’s Barefoot Solar Engineers Are Building a Brighter Future

Throughout India there are many rural villages that are completely removed from the grid. With no source of power for cooking, light, and heating they currently must rely on firewood, kerosene or diesel for fuel. Now green jobs are blossoming throughout these remote areas as the Orissa Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme rains women and youth to become barafoot solar engineers. This brilliant initiative provides a bright future for the semi-literate and illiterate rural poor by teaching them to harness the sun through the construction of photovoltaic systems and solar powered lanterns.

The initiative makes a lot of sense – rather than dropping down solar technology from above, teach those who will use it how it works and they’ll be able to repair it, will pass the information on to others in need, and will benefit from the green jobs that are created. The Orissa Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme (funded by the UK’s Department for International Development) also stands to increase the availability of renewable energy, reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuels, and cut down on the use of dangerous kerosene lamps.

Talsa Miniaka, Pulka Wadeka, Minakshi Diwan, and Bundei Hidreka are four barefoot solar engineers in Tinginapu, in the Eastern Ghats of Orissa. Thanks to their training they now have a contract to build 3,000 solar-powered lanterns for schools and other institutions. These lanterns enable students to study after dark without using kerosene lamps and have encouraged local businesses by enabling villagers to work at night from their homes.

Orissa Tribal Empowerment & Livelihoods Programme

Bottle Bank Arcade Machine

Many of us return our plastic bottles and cans. Noticeably fewer recycle their glass. Maybe that's because we don't get any money in return, as we do for cans and plastic. Can we change this attitude by making recycling glass fun to do? So you are not just rewarded with a good conscience, you also get a smile. See the results here.

The Bottle Bank Arcade is a recycling bin that encourages a higher rate of returns by rewarding bottle recyclers with musical notes and tons of fun. It’s one of several kooky and kinetic entries in The Fun Theory competition, which will award £2500 ($4185) for the best idea that proves “fun is the easiest way to change people’s behavior … be it for yourself, for the environment, or for something entirely different.

LINK

The pedal powered stage

Sam Isaac - Carbon Dating - The Pedal Sessions from Magnificent Revolution on Vimeo.

Here's a nice video of the pedal powered stage I've mentioned this afternoon. You might want to check out Magnificent Revolution's other projects such as the pedal powered cinema or pedal powered home on their website. They're also organising bike generator workshops across britain in which you can learn the basics about building one by your own.

Remotely controlled garden using Twitter and Arduino

via instructables.com

I'm always excited when I come across projects in which interaction, open source technology and social media is being used in resilient everyday design proposals and appliances. So, here's a great instructable about how to build a remotely controlled garden using the open-source electronics prototyping platform Arduino and Twitter. Instructable user natantus had the brilliant idea to combine the "Tweet-a-Watt" power-metering project with the automated garden how-to "Garduino". In this step by step tutorial you'll learn how to build your own garden that you can monitor from work, university or with your smartphone via Twitter.

http://www.biomimicry.net/

Learning from Lotus Plants How to Clean without Cleaners
Learning from Human Lungs How to Sequester Carbon
Learning from Nature How to Create Flow Without Friction
Learning From Chimpanzees How to Heal Ourselves
Etc.....

http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/case_studies.php

Wildlife film maker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family's farm in Devon into a low energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key.

It is an interesting documentary on Peak Oil and it’s potential impact on farming. It is also an introduction to Permaculture as a way of designing a way out from the reliance in agriculture on fossil fuels.

Here is the link to the YouTube playlist to watch the entire show (takes around one hour).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xShCEKL-mQ8&feature=PlayList&p=9975CC0E8CC2CDDE&index=0&playnext=1

http://www.loveletterstothefuture.com/

Imagine that you could write a love letter to the future - what would it say?

Future generations will be living with the consequences of whatever action we take - or do not take - on climate change, would you send them messages of hope and inspiration - or regret? Your message is important!

A time capsule has been built that will be permanently installed in Copenhagen - the site of the upcoming UN Climate Summit this December. The capsule will store love letters from this generation to the future - either as text, images or video - using technology we hope will maintain their survival for approximately five hundred years.

Post Petroleum City

A city which will entirely rely on solar power. According to their measurements their solar power have been tested to produce twice the energy output that they would in a European climate.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/masdar-city-tour.php

Stewart Brand: Whole Earth Discipline

Stewart Brand, the publisher of the Whole Earth Catalogue back in the 60's proposes a whole different view on slums. Villages of the earth are drying out and it's in town where poor people find opportunity, action and a cash economy. Slum dwellers are poor but intensely creative and urban. Considering population growth on earth in the next decades, squatters are building the world. Brand's notion is that slums do not undermine prosperity instead they help to create prosperity. Although I don't agree on every point with him, his TED talk is an interesting presentation about a completely different approach on the topics of cities, nuclear power, genetic modification and geo-engineering which will surely provoke widespread debate.

mapping

New York travel times on commuter rail



The map of Japan which was made by time of movement and Sugiwura Kohei.

Daniel Goleman on Ecological Intelligence

Daniel Goleman is a psychologist and the author of the best-selling book Emotional Intelligence. His newest book, Ecological Intelligence, is a look through the haze of the true cost of what we buy. He places a strong emphasis on industrial life cycle assessment, a discipline that blends industrial engineering and chemistry with environmental science and biology — in order to assess how man-made systems impact natural ones.

Listen to the Interview on Treehugger Radio:

In the interview Goleman mentions goodguide.com a website which claims to "help you find better products that represent your values, avoid products that are harmful to your health, the environment, or society – and enable you to take actions to help improve the world."

Here is another talk: